


Best Laid Plans

by datajana



Category: Kings of Con (Web Series)
Genre: Alpha Rich, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Cock Rings, Divorce, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Language, Lube, M/M, Masturbation, Multiple Orgasms, NSFW image, Omega Rob, Omega Verse, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, RSJ Fandom, Shower Sex, Smut, knot ring, past trauma, protective!Alpha Rich
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:14:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23315227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/datajana/pseuds/datajana
Summary: Rob has had the unthinkable happen: the loss of his Heat Partner.Luckily, his best friend Rich comes to his rescue. Plans are made, everything is going as it should. It's great, wonderful.Really wonderful.Until...***I do not consent to have my work hosted on any third party app or site.***
Relationships: Rob Bennett/Richard Slate
Comments: 35
Kudos: 12
Collections: Golden Eyed Encounters, Rich A/B/O 2020 Collection, Speight Bingo





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the Rich 2020 A/B/O Fic Collection (make sure to run over there and check out all the other amazing fics!).
> 
> A big, huge GIGANTIC thanks to [WarlockWriter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WarlockWriter/pseuds/WarlockWriter) for being my beta reader and making the fantastic moodboard! You're the best!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Covers the "A/B/O" square of my Speight Bingo card.

Rob used the back of his arm to clear his eyes of tears as he drove. They just wouldn’t stop! He was terrified! Why did she do it? She knew how dangerous such a thing was, especially at his age! She had taken everything else, and he, like the docile Omega that he was, had just let her! Why hadn’t he fought harder like Rich had told him? Why hadn’t he _tried_ harder? What she had done had the potential to destroy him! He’d never be able to—

He almost missed the turn onto the street where his best friend lived. It was really late—two-thirty in the morning—but Rich would understand. He always understood. And he was always there for him, through thick and thin, even when the Alpha drove him up the proverbial wall.

All the lights were out in Rich’s house, and Rob pulled his car into the driveway, shutting off the engine. He sat for a long moment, darting his eyes about and peering into the shadows of the trees and bushes that surrounded the yard. He took deep breaths to calm himself down, telling himself over and over that Rich’s neighborhood was a safe one, that he’d been here a million times.

He cautiously opened his car door and stepped out, sniffing the air. His Omega senses weren’t as keen as the other genders, but they were still reliable enough. He picked up freshly cut grass, garbage that had been set out on the curb, and a lot of the deep woodsy pine scent that always emanated from Rich. He must’ve been out scenting his territory before retiring for the evening, like all Alphas did.

Bright lights blazing to life across the yard startled him, and he dropped to his knees, covering his head with his arms in fright. The front door of the house opened and the sound of running footsteps came towards him, carrying the scent of Alpha challenge.

The steps and scent came to an abrupt stop when they rounded the front of his car.

“Robbie?”

Rob shook, completely overwhelmed by the events of the past few hours. He couldn’t handle this anymore, he just couldn’t. The tears returned, pouring down his face, and he gasped and choked for air.

“Robbie! What the hell are you doing out here smelling like that? Come on!” Hands, gentle hands, took him by the shoulders and lifted him to his feet. “Hey, hey, hey... Robbie. Let’s get you inside, alright?”

“R-Rich… I-I…” Rob managed to stutter. He stared into his friend’s worried eyes. “Sh-She… I…”

“Shh, Rob. Inside, OK?” Rich turned him towards the house and guided him up the path, closing and locking the door as soon as they entered.

The Alpha helped Rob to the living room, where the Omega collapsed onto the couch. Rich looked him over, concern filling his face. “What happened? You haven’t smelled like this since Marney…” His eyes widened as he trailed off. “What did she do, Robbie?” he asked slowly, narrowing his eyes.

Rob shook his head, lips still trembling. Rich went to one knee and pulled him forward by the back of his head, settling his face against the side of his neck. “You need to calm down, Robbie,” he said in a soothing tone.

“Rich…” Rich was the only Alpha who had ever let him scent him, and now more than ever, Rob was grateful for it. He inhaled his friend’s familiar scent, feeling it flood his system and slowly abate the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him.

“Better?” Rich asked after a few minutes.

Rob moved back. “Yeah. Thank you.”

Rich nodded then tilted his head. “So, now that I’ve possibly shown the whole neighborhood my jammies, can you tell me what’s wrong?”

Rob hadn’t even acknowledged his friend’s clothes: faded band shirt, red-striped gym shorts, bare feet. The Alpha must’ve jumped straight out of bed. Rob sighed, feeling guilty for waking him. He then remembered that Rich had also asked him a question. “I-I left them in the car.” He waved his hand in the direction of the front door. He’d meant to bring them in; they were part of the reason why he was here…

Rich flicked his eyes over at the door and back. “Left what in the car?”

“The papers…” Rob ran his hands down his face in a vain attempt to wipe it clean. “I forgot…”

“It’s OK,” Rich said, patting Rob comfortingly on the shoulder. “Want me to go get them?”

Rob nodded. “Y-Yeah.” He couldn’t seem to talk straight.

The Omega gazed about Rich’s familiar living room after the Alpha went outside. It looked like he had gotten the new flatscreen television he had been talking about. He was so impulsive sometimes, but that was part of his friend’s charm he supposed.

He turned when Rich came back into the house. His friend had a manilla envelope in his hand, and his nose was scrunched up. “I’m gonna have to air out and clean your car,” he stated, locking the door once more.

Oh, yeah; he was pretty sure he had stunk up the interior with his being so upset on the way here. “Alright,” he agreed. His eyes followed Rich as the Alpha made his way over to the couch and sat by him.

“This what I think it is?” Rich asked, setting the envelope in his lap. He pressed his lips together and gave Rich a direct look.

“Yeah,” Rob confirmed. “That, and-and more.”

Rich sighed. “Do you want to tell me, or…?” He moved his fingers to the seal.

“I don’t want to say it out loud, so,” he motioned for Rich to continue, bringing a hand up to the right side of his neck unconsciously.

His friend did so, taking out the stapled bundle of papers and reading quietly for a long moment. Rob rubbed along his neck, looking for what used to comfort him that was no longer there, and hating himself for it.

“Oh, Robbie,” Rich said softly. Rob stilled his hand’s movements and met his friend’s sorrowful gaze. “Did you two even talk about this before filing?”

Rob pulled his knees up onto the couch and wrapped his free arm around them. “N-Not really. I hadn’t even thought about anything changing pertaining to that. Who would do that to an Omega, right?”

Rich placed the papers on the end table next to the couch. “Seems like your Beta ex for one.” He clenched his jaw. “When’s your next Heat, Rob?”

“Uh…” Rob averted his eyes. He and Rich may have been the best of friends, spent more time together than they had with their own families over the past decade or so, but they’d never talked about their Cycles before! “Umm…”

“Rob, don’t get all shy and flustered; this is important!” Rich half-shouted.

“I-I know…” Rob trembled. The Alpha next to him wasn’t angry, just worried; his scent proved that. “A week, two at most,” he whispered.

Rich slowly stood and stared down at him. “At most?” he quietly said.

“Give or take a few days,” Rob said, dropping his head against his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut as whiffs of charred wood permeated the air.

That had done it—Rich was furious.

* * *

“If,” Rich ground out. “If she was an Alpha…” It was an unspoken law that only like genders fought each other when it came to personal matters. Alphas were by nature much stronger than Betas or Omegas, and could kill when they were under the effects of bloodlust. It was the same for Betas against Omegas.

At the moment though, Rich was thirsting for Rob’s former mate’s neck between his jaws. As part of the divorce, she had chosen to give up her rights as Rob’s Heat partner. This left Rob with no one to help ease him through that painful week of high fevers and body cramps and sweats. Omegas were very vulnerable then, out of their minds with breeding hormones, at risk for dehydration and starvation, rape, unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases. In some countries, they were kidnapped and used as sex toys for the duration, then kept prisoner until they had another Cycle.

A flash of red clouded his vision momentarily. That bitch of a Beta _knows_ all of this! Every teenager is required to take instruction courses not only in school, but in college as well. It was also required to view a “refresher video” when applying for or renewing permits such as driver’s licenses! The government was serious about the protection of Omegas!

A whine from Rob had him snapping his head in his friend’s direction. Rob was rocking back and forth, his face hidden against his legs. He still had a hand clamped against the right side of his neck, where his Mating Mark used to be. It had faded when Rob and Marney had broken their Bond. Mating Marks always faded when the Bonds were severed. Rich knew this from personal experience himself.

He shook his head, forcing himself to draw in gulps of air to calm himself. He hadn’t meant to upset Rob even more than he was. Stupid! So stupid! The air was filled with not only his own burnt, angry Alpha stench, but also Rob’s sour, frightened Omega fetidness.

Rich quietly made his way over to the control panel on the wall, activating the air filters and vents that most homes and apartments possessed. He had to clear the room of their negative scents or they wouldn't be able to speak to each other.

The soft whir of the fans turning on filled his ears, and Rich leaned back against the wall, using the sound to center himself. What could he do to help Rob? Without a Heat Partner, his friend would be forced to suffer through his Cycles alone, and everyone knew how taxing and distressful that could be. True, there was the option of requesting a Service Alpha, but it was so impersonal, and many Omegas saw it as nothing more than hiring a prostitute; they’d rather just ask a close friend to—

He drew in a sharp breath. Would that work? He chanced a glance at Rob, who had let his legs drop back to the floor and was lying back against the couch, apparently feeling relaxed. Rich studied him for a moment, and the image of his friend in tears, crying, scared, panicking, replaced the Rob on his couch for a fraction of a second.

Rich couldn’t let his best friend be that way when he could help him. He’d never turned him away, not for anything. That wasn’t the kind of man Rich was, wasn’t the kind of _Alpha_ Rich was.

And, Rich had a soft spot for the Omega, always had, despite how much he ribbed him. He couldn’t help it; Rob was so—

“That’s better,” Rob commented.

“Hmm?” Rich replied, his musings abruptly halted. Rob was giving him a small smile, and Rich was glad to see it. “What’s that?”

“No more burning forest. It makes my head hurt.”

Rich pushed himself from the wall and padded over to stand before him. “Well, rotten apples isn’t a favorite of mine either.”

Rob lowered his head. “Sorry.” He bit his lip.

“Don’t worry about it; it was my fault.” Rich placed his hands on his hips, trying to think of a way to bring up what he’d been thinking. “About this thing with Marney…”

The Omega swallowed. “I don’t know what to do—”

“I do.”

“What?” Rob’s blue eyes went round. “How?”

“Me. I…” Rich caught Rob’s gaze. “I can be your Partner.”

* * *

Rob stared at his friend. Did Rich just say…?

“Are you… You want to be my _Alpha?_ ” he asked in bewilderment.

Rich nodded firmly. “Yes. I’ll be your Alpha.”

“I…” He couldn’t think of what to say. He’d never had an Alpha before; he’d only ever been with Betas, and Marney had been his one and only Heat Partner. Having an Alpha meant that the Beta or Omega under their care was to be protected and scent-marked by the Alpha. The Alpha also had to provide for their physical and emotional needs at all times. It was like being Mated, but not. Some Alphas considered it a trial period prior to Bonding, and it was quite common.

“Robbie?” Rich prompted.

“A-Are you sure? I mean, it’s a lot to take on, and...” Rob had to force himself to look away; he felt embarrassed to admit it, yet they _had_ been talking about intimate matters anyway, so, ”I’ve never been with an Alpha before.”

Rich balked for a second, but quickly recovered. “Ah, I see.” He cleared his throat. “Well, I think we could get around that; there’s plenty of time...”

Rob turned back to him. He wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. “But… I…” He shook his head at the Alpha’s unwavering gaze. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” Would Rich do this for him? He hadn’t come to his friend’s house for this! He really hadn’t! He just needed someone to talk to, and Rich had always let him confide in him. “You do know that it would change everything, right?”

“It wouldn’t have to,” Rich said. “Besides, you have Heats what? Twice a year now? It’s not as if you’re at prime breeding age anymore, right?”

“I’ve still a handful of years left, thank you very much.” Rob sighed and crossed his arms. Not that it really mattered. “Speaking of, your Ruts would sync with my Heats, which means they’ll both probably increase.”

Rich plopped down heavily on the couch. “Oh yeah...”

“You haven’t been with many Omegas, have you?” Rob guessed.

“Figured that out with all my exes being Betas, did you?”

“Ehh,” Rob shrugged.

“So,” Rich said, crossing a leg over one knee and swinging an arm across the back of the couch. “What say you?”

Rob turned his eyes towards the ceiling. With Rich as his Alpha, he’d have someone to help ground him, watch out for him. He wouldn’t have to worry about being fearful for his safety, for his life, while in public. The laws were supposed to hinder that, but that didn’t mean that everyone followed them—the world would never be perfect. He wouldn’t be in agony during his Heats, wouldn’t risk not surviving them. And, unlike Marney, Rich would talk to him when he needed it.

He regarded Rich from the corner of his eye. The Alpha was staring calmly at his hands in his lap, apparently waiting patiently for Rob’s answer. That was another thing Marney never was, patient.

Why had Rob never seen it? Why had she made those vows and broken them?

“I will,” Rob began, then held up a hand when Rich raised his head to stop him from saying anything. “But only if you promise me one thing, OK?”

Rich nodded. “Of course.”

Rob took Rich’s hand.

“Promise me that you won’t go back on your word, Rich.”

“I promise, Robbie.” Rich squeezed his hand. “I’m not her, OK?”

“I know.”

Rich let him go then stood. “Alright then. It’s late, and we gotta call the county courthouse first thing in the morning so we can set up an appointment to get me appointed as your Alpha!”

Rob laughed. His friend always tried to change the mood of the room when it got too serious or heavy for him. “I can’t argue with you there.” He looked at the front door.

“Nope, don’t even think of it,” Rich said. Rob turned to him. “I’m gonna be your Alpha, and that means that you are gonna live with me.”

“Are you gonna be a bossy one too?” Rob raised an eyebrow.

“Nah, but I’ll try to pull rank now and then just to fuck with you.”

Rob sighed as Rich turned and went laughing down the hallway towards his bedroom.

Of course he would.


	2. Chapter 2

_This is so awkward,_ Rob thought, standing outside Rich’s bedroom door. It was seven-thirty in the morning, half an hour before the courthouse opened downtown. Rob couldn’t call by himself to set up the appointment; Rich would have to speak to the clerk as well. However, his frien—no, his _Alpha_ —was still asleep.

His Alpha...

When he’d gone to bed last night in the guestroom, he’d pondered over his and Rich’s…”arrangement.” When he’d agreed, it had made perfect sense: he wouldn’t be alone, he’d have support, be protected, everything. He would have nothing to worry about.

But it hit him that maybe perhaps he’d jumped into all this too quickly. There should’ve been more thought put into it. This was a major life-changing decision! And even though Rich had insisted that nothing would change between them, there was so much that the Alpha didn’t know. Hell, so much that he himself didn’t know!

What if they found out something about the other that they couldn’t handle? What if they didn’t want to be friends anymore?

He’d tried to go to sleep, to ignore the worries plaguing him, but even more questions kept coming and increased his anxiety: Would they split finances? What about chores around the house? What if they got into arguments?

What about when Rich was in Rut? He’d nearly sat straight up in bed at the thought. Would he ask Rob to join him?

Would he have to tell him about… _that?_

He sighed and knocked on the door. As always, he thought logically _after_ the fact. He’d have to find a way to bring this all up before they signed the papers, talk about it fully, give them both a chance to think over it thoroughly first.

But maybe...maybe they _could_ work it out somehow? Whether Rich was his Alpha or not, Rob didn’t want to be on his own. He’d have no problem just being roommates with him, and he wouldn’t exactly be alo—

There was a thump, a curse, a few grunts. Something fell over, then the jiggle of the doorknob preceded the door’s opening. Rich’s face appeared, his face creased from sleep, hair spiked widely all about his head. He yawned, smacked his lips, and blinked. “Rob? Wh-Wha? It’s early, man! You need somethin’?”

Rob stared at him. “Rich, the courthouse, remember? Gotta call?”

Rich scratched his side and yawned once more. “I had my alarm set, Rob.” He turned, pushing his door open wider. “Are you normally up this early every day?”

“It’s almost eight!” Rob answered, walking into the room. He stopped and stared. Wow, this place was...well, “lived-in” was a nice way of putting it. Clothes were strewn about, both clean and dirty. Some were freshly laundered and folded, others hung up in the closet. Shoes were piled up in a corner, and the drawers of the dresser were halfway pulled out.

“At least I keep the rest of the house clean,” Rich said. Rob turned to him, wincing at getting caught gawking. “I usually don’t let anyone else in here, so I don’t really bother with it.”

It was sorta an opening, so Rob took it. “Speaking of keeping the house clean…” Rich raised an eyebrow and gave him his full attention. “I was thinking last night about everything, our arrangement or whatever this is going to be.” He swallowed, steeling his nerves. “Is it going to be fifty-fifty?”

Rich blinked at him. “Fifty-fifty what?”

“Like, with bills? Taking care of the house? Erm…” He glanced around, not sure how to broach the subject of Rich’s Cycle. His eyes fell on the bed, so he gestured to it. “That.”

“ _That?_ ” Rich waved his hand at the bed. “You mean us sleeping in one room?” He sounded completely baffled. “You know this doesn’t—”

“No!” Rob rubbed at his temples. This was so much harder than he thought it would be. “For you, because of me.”

“Robbie, I don’t do riddles before coffee.” The Alpha made a face. “Or ever if I don’t have to.” He gave Rob an expectant look. “Either spit it out or I’m gonna start breakfast.”

Dammit! Just say it, Rob! “Ruts! Ruts!” he exclaimed, waving his arms.

The corners of Rich’s mouth twitched. His eyes scrunched up and he snorted.

Then the room filled with his uproarious laughter.

“It’s not funny!” Rob tried to shout over him, but Rich was holding his sides and howling. Rob tried to glower, but the air was thick with happy Alpha, and it didn’t take long for it to affect him.

“You’re such an ass!” he said, smiling despite himself. It was so Rich, improving his mood without even realizing it.

Rich wheezed and stood straight, wiping at his eyes. “I’m sorry, Robbie, but-but I was _not_ expecting that.” He took a moment to calm himself, then strode forward to clap Rob’s shoulder. “To answer your questions, when it comes to paying or whatever, splitting them works for me. I’d really appreciate help around the house, too. As to that”—he jabbed a thumb at his bed—”well, didn’t you say we’d sync anyway?”

“Uh, yeah…” Rob said. OK, this was a start. That got a good bit out of the way. The rest… The rest could be brought up later. He still had a little time, and—

“See? It’s all good!” Rich looked him up and down and grimaced. “Crap, I should’ve given you something to sleep in; I’m sucking at being your Alpha already.” He walked over to one of the stacks of clothes and searched through them before turning around and handing a bundle to him. “Let’s go make that call, then you can grab a shower while I make something for breakfast.”

* * *

Rich wrapped his fingers around Rob’s upper arm in a gentle grip, causing the Omega to turn around to look at him in surprise. They were on their way out the door to go pick up clean clothes and some of Rob’s belongings from his now old residence. It would take a day or so to pack everything up and move, but the sooner they started, the better. Their appointment at the courthouse was at the end of the week, and the earlier Rob was settled, the simpler the process would be.

“Rich?” Rob asked in confusion.

“It’s not safe for you to go out there without an Alpha’s scent on you,” Rich explained. He smiled sadly as his friend’s face fell; he’d apparently forgotten.

“I-I haven’t had to worry about that in so long…”

“And you won’t have to start to.” Rich stepped back and raised both his wrists to the sides of his neck and scrubbed them vigorously against his scent glands. “Come here.”

Rob nodded and came forward, holding out his own wrists and tilting his head back. Rich lowered his hands and rubbed his wrists firmly along the inside of the Omega’s arms and the sides of his neck, making sure that he was scent-marked thoroughly. Other Alphas that came within proximity of Rob would know right away that the Omega was “taken,” mating bite or not.

“Doing alright?” Rich asked when he’d finished. He knew sometimes that the act could be overwhelming. Hell, he was a bit affected at the moment; it had been a long time since he had scented someone this way.

“Y-Yeah,” Rob answered. “Just… It’s a lot, ya know?” His nostrils flared a few times before he rolled his shoulders and brought his head back down. “So, we gotta do that daily, huh?”

Rich scratched the back of his neck. “‘Fraid so. No bite and all…”

“Right,” Rob said a little too brightly. He swiveled on his foot and headed out the door. “Let’s go, yeah?”

Rich stood in place for a moment. His and Rob’s conversation from that morning had been strange, and he wondered if there was anything else bothering the Omega. He hoped that Rob would tell him if there was.

He sighed and swiped his keys from the hook on the wall and exited the house.

* * *

Rob kept his attention out the passenger’s side window, fiddling with the window switches. He was doing his best to ignore the uneasiness that had settled upon him after Rich scented him. It had been almost intimate, and he hadn’t been prepared for that. Rich was his friend! His best friend! He’d established that in Las Vegas, right?

“Are you sure that Marney is out of town?” Rich asked from the driver’s seat.

“Yeah, she was supposed to leave for San Francisco a couple of hours ago,” Rob answered. “Had an ‘important client’ to meet for some high profile case.”

“Did she take a cab to the airport?”

Rob wrinkled his brow. What was he talking about? He turned to Rich to ask just that, but stopped when his eyes caught sight of his former home. “Oh hell…”

His ex-Mate’s car was sitting right in the middle of the driveway, taking up all the space as usual. Rob always had to park on the curb, regardless of how often he’d asked the Beta to give him room to park his own car in his own driveway.

“Hey.” A warm hand was placed on his arm, and Rob moved his head to the left to meet warm, amber eyes. “I’m here, remember? She can’t do anything.”

That’s right. He wasn’t Bonded or Mated to Marney anymore. He had an Alpha now. She couldn’t bully him like she used to before. Couldn’t ridicule him for being—

“Umm, will _you_ be OK?” he asked Rich. “You were pretty pissed about her last night.” It was always hard to forget an Alpha’s anger.

Rich pulled his car to the curb and cut the engine. “She may be a bitch, but I think I can deal with being around her for a short while. Besides,” he added, reaching for his door handle. “I can’t be there for you from the slammer, can I?”

“Heh, right,” Rob said, smiling and getting out on his side of the car. Huh, all that uneasiness was gone, with just a look and a few words. But, Rich always had that effect on people, and right now he was so very grateful for it.

Rob waited until Rich joined him before walking up the sidewalk to the door. He dug in his pocket for the keys on the off-chance that it would be locked, then put his hand on the doorknob.

When it turned, he pushed it open. “Hello?” he called, walking inside. He stopped at the pile of cardboard boxes with his name written in black marker across their tops.

“What are these?” he said mostly to himself, reaching for a smaller-sized one. He turned it and sighed at the words “Rob’s stupid guitar shit” scrawled across its side.

“Everything breakable is wrapped in bubble wrap,” a voice said from further inside. He stepped to the side to see Marney leaning against the wall, dressed in black ankle pants and a red silk blouse. “I noticed that your car was gone this morning, so figured I might as well do it myself since you were dragging your ass.” She rolled her eyes. “You’re lucky my client had to reschedule.”

“Uh, I… Well…”

“Watch it, Beta.”

Marney blinked at Rich’s voice. “‘Beta?’ Where do you get off speaking to me like that?” She strode down the hallway, the pointed heels of her shoes clicking on the tile loudly, her eyes full of anger. “I won’t be spoken to like that in my own home, Richard Slate!”

Rich calmly pulled Rob behind him. “And you won’t speak to Rob like that _ever_ again.”

Rob darted his eyes between them. Marney had stopped in her tracks, her mouth falling open in surprise. Rich glared at her, his back ramrod straight, hands curled into fists at his side. He felt like bolting, not liking the situation one bit.

“G-Guys, uh, let’s just—”

“It’s OK, Rob,” Rich said quietly, not taking his eyes from Marney. “We're just having a civil conversation.” The Alpha placed a hand on his hip. “Right, Marney?”

Marney narrowed her eyes. “Did he… Did you…” Her lips curved into a knowing smile. “Oh, this is interesting!” She moved her gaze to Rob. “Rich is your _Alpha_ , Rob?”

“Don’t look at him,” Rich snapped.

“And a protective Alpha, no less.” Marney rolled her eyes and waved her hands at the boxes. “Just take all his shit and leave.”

“We will, and once we do, no more contact. I don’t want to see or smell you anywhere near him or my territory.” Rich bared his teeth and growled. “Understand?”

“Fine, no messing with your Omega. Have fun with whatever you plan on doing.” She darted her eyes at Rob. “Plan on having some pups, Rob?” She gave him a smug smile.

Rob sucked in a breath. Damn her! “Shut up, Marney!”

The Beta’s face lit up with a feral grin. “What? I can’t wish you a happy mating?” She covered her mouth with her hand and gasped. “Oh, Rob! Don’t tell me you—”

“Just let us get my stuff and leave!” Rob went to pick up another box. Why did she do this to him? It wasn’t his fault that she made more money than he did! Why did she have to throw everything in his face? EVERYTHING?!

“But Rob, it’s nothing to be ashamed of…”

“WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP, MARNEY!”

“Come on, Robbie; let’s start loading up the car.” Rich had appeared by his side, picking up one of the larger boxes. The Alpha growled at Marney once more, who took the hint and walked away.

“Yeah, I like that idea,” Rob said, glaring daggers at Marney’s disappearing form.

* * *

It took them fifteen minutes or so to get the boxes into Rich’s car, then after Rob nearly hurled his copies of the house keys at Marney, they left.

Rich kept one eye on Rob on the ride home. The Omega was grinding his teeth, breathing hard in and out of his nose. A thick ring of gold encircled the blue of his eyes, indicating how angry he was. Why had Marney’s words riled Rob up so much?

He wanted to ask, but wasn’t sure _what_ to ask.

“Please stop looking at me,” Rob said quietly.

“I’m just worried.” Rich tapped the steering wheel after he turned into their neighborhood. “I almost thought that you were going to throw a box at her.”

Rob laughed harshly. “I should have.”

“You want to tell me why?”

“It’s… It’s nothing that really matters.” Rob sighed heavily. “And it’s too late to do anything about.”

“You know it’s part of my job as your Alpha to look after how you feel,” Rich stated. “To keep you stable, happy, all that.” He pulled up into the driveway of their house. “Right now, I’m sucking at it,” he went on, turning to Rob after killing the engine.

Rob shook his head. “I’ll be fine.” He shrunk down in his seat. “Let’s just drop it please.”

“You know I won’t until you talk to me.”

“Please don’t make me talk about it, Rich.”

The Omega’s small, sullen voice made Rich want to pull him close, so he did. Rob made a surprised noise but didn’t fight it. He leaned his head against Rich’s shoulder and just breathed.

“I can’t…” Rob began, then swallowed. “There’s a reason I’ve never been with an Alpha.”

Rich moved back. “Robbie, lots of people have never been with an Alpha.”

“Not for the reason I haven’t,” Rob said. He shook his head and looked straight into Rich’s eyes. “Promise you won’t throw me out onto the street if I tell you why?”

“What? Why would I ever do that?!’ Rich exclaimed. “Robbie, what on earth could possibly make you think that?”

Rob gripped Rich’s shirt. “Promise me, Rich! S-Some Alphas would call me unnatural...flawed…” He leaned his head against Rich’s chest. “A-A freak…” he whispered.

Rich was stunned. “Rob? You’re really worrying me here, buddy.” Without realizing it, he ran his fingers through the Omega’s hair. “Tell me, what is it? I’m your friend, your Alpha. And I promised that I wouldn't go back on my word, remember?”

* * *

Rob squeezed his eyes shut. Yes, Rich was his Alpha. His Alpha would be there for him, no matter what. He’d already proven that in less than twenty-four hours, and he had promised him the night before. He focused on the feel of Rich’s hands in his hair for a moment, letting it calm him.

“I…” He pulled back and covered his face with his hands. “Fuck, I can’t believe I’m having to talk about this with another person _again._ ”

Fingers touched his wrists and pulled his hands away. “Hey, you can trust me,” Rich said. “What is it?” His honey eyes swam with kindness.

“I’m afraid to have sex,” Rob blurted out. There, he’d said it. Now Rich knew, and Rob would be treated differently, and he’d be the freak again.

“What?” Rich said blankly. “I’m not sure I heard you correctly, Rob.”

This was it. This was when his best friend became his ex-friend. It was over now. “Umm, I’m afraid of being taken?”

“Y-Your… But…” Rich blinked. “But you and Marney surely—”

Rob bit his lip and turned back to lean in his seat. “This was a bad idea.”

Comprehension slowly dawned on the Alpha’s face. “Oh hell, Robbie. Don’t tell me that you’re—”

“I’ll just go now.” Rob unbuckled his seat belt. “I’ll move my things to my car and be on my way.”

“No!” Rich stopped him. “Robbie, I’m trying to understand what you’re telling me, but I won’t be able to if you leave!”

Rob hung his head. Should he? Would Rich understand? What if he didn’t? What if he got angry? What if he mocked him? Used it against him? Marney had… She’d… He looked over at the Alpha from the corner of his eye, and hated himself for causing Rich to worry.

“O-OK, but I think I need a little time to clear my head first…” His emotions were all over the place.

Rich nodded. “Of course. We should get your stuff inside anyway; it’s pretty warm today.” He gave him a kind, warm look. “And we can start planning for your heat after, OK?”

He was trying to comfort him! Rob wanted to be angry, or at least frustrated, but he couldn’t. The Alpha’s voice was so sincere. He meant what he said. “Sure, sounds like a plan.”

They both exited the car, walking to its trunk. Rob hefted a box into his arms then faced Rich. “Hey, uh, Rich?” he said, shuffling his feet.

“Hmm?” The Alpha tilted his head at him.

“Thanks.”

Rich grabbed a box and smiled. “You’re welcome.”

* * *

The first thing Rob did after he and Rich put all his boxes into what was now his room was put his guitar in an empty corner. Unsurprisingly, Marney had conveniently “forgotten” to include it with his belongings when she packed them up. The Beta was lucky that he’d remembered where he’d left it last; if she had hidden it from him, he was certain that he might have caused a scene.

He stacked the remaining boxes against the wall by the dresser, intending to unpack them gradually. Just looking at them made him feel like his life was so small. It was all right there in front of him, encased in a dozen or so cubes of cardboard, made to go from place to place.

That’s how he felt right now, something that had been crated up and moved from one home to another.

 _But at least this home will be an **actual** home_, his mind told him.

He smiled and sat on the bed. From the looks of things, it was turning out to be that way. Rich hadn’t scoffed at him for expressing how he felt, had actually _asked_ him about what was bothering him. That was something Marney would’ve never done.

A knock sounded on the door, followed by Rich’s voice asking “Robbie?” Rob called him inside, and the Alpha entered, holding a pad of paper and a pen. He then waved a hand in front of his face. “Whoa, what are you thinking about?”

Rob swallowed. He’d been overwhelmed with anxiety at the sight of the objects Rich carried. They reminded him of the unfinished conversation from earlier. “I just remembered why you’re here.”

Rich’s eyes softened in understanding and he went to sit beside him. “I, uh, was thinking about what you told me.” He rolled the pen in his fingers. “Y-You weren’t almost forced or anything, were you?” Anger mixed with worry and protectiveness laced the Alpha’s voice and scent.

“No, I wasn’t.” Rich blew out a huge puff of air and covered his face, and Rob found himself comparing the Alpha to Marney again. It was night and day, their reactions...

“So,” Rich said, lowering his hands. “Are you gonna tell me?”

Rob leaned back on his hands. _Here we go,_ he thought. “I’ve only been with three people, all Betas.”

“All women?”

“Two.”

“Since one was obviously Marney, I’m guessing you did the fucking?” Rob’s eyes widened at Rich’s bluntness, and the Alpha rolled his eyes. “C’mon, Robbie; if we’re gonna be covered with each other’s body fluids for days, we might as well throw politeness out the window.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess you’re right.” Just as he’d thought, it would all change. “So, yeah, I did the, uh, screw—” He cut himself off at Rich’s exasperated sigh. “Ugh, I did the _fucking._ ”

“Did the guy…?”

Rob flopped back onto the bed. “It’s a long story.”

Rich turned to face him, folding his legs underneath him and tossing the pad of paper and pen to the side. “I’m listening.”

“I Presented when I was fifteen, like most people do. But, I was one of those super-fast ones.” Rob ignored the wince that appeared on Rich’s face. “Two days into my first Heat I was physically changed already. I felt every single bit of it through the Heat fever.”

“Did your parents not hear you?” Rich asked. “Hell, I cried like a baby when my knot popped for the first time.”

“The doctors told my parents that as long as I didn’t pass out that I would be fine.” Rob laughed bitterly. “Shows what they know.” He stared at the ceiling. “I was terrified when my next Heat started.”

“You were afraid that it would hurt again?” Rich guessed.

“Well…” Rob leaned up on his elbows. “You know how you have ‘The Talk’ after you Present?” Rich nodded. “My dad—he’s an Omega, remember?—went on and on about toys and how they helped ease everything. All I could think about was how sore I was when my Heat was over. I had trouble just wearing underwear for a few days after! The thought of putting something in me…” He squirmed and looked away.

“I didn’t use any of the things that my dad got for me,” he went on. “As you can imagine, my Heat was rough as hell. Oh, I was tempted more than once to use them, but the memories of what I’d gone through stopped me.”

* * *

Rich didn’t find himself at a loss for words very often, but boy was he now. How was he supposed to deal with this? He had to help Rob with his Heat, but how did you help an Omega who was afraid of the one thing an Alpha could do for them?

“Oh hell, you're wanting to back out on being my Alpha aren’t you?” Rob said forlornly, his blue eyes downcast.

“What? No!” Rich said. Shit, he must’ve been quiet for too long. “I’m just trying to process everything.”

“Well, it gets kinda worse.” Rob sat all the way up and mirrored his position. “There was an...incident...in college.”

Rich nearly gagged at the cloying smell of sour apples. “Rob, you told me that nothing bad happened.”

"It was the Beta guy… I decided to try with him.” Rob reached over and grabbed one of the pillows from the head of the bed to hold it to his chest. “I scared the hell out of the both of us. I’ve never seen anyone run so fast.”

“He didn’t even stay to make sure that you were alright?” How had Rob lived with all of this for so long, and remained so kind-hearted despite of it? “Were you hurt?”

“I bled some, but it stopped after a while,” the Omega answered.

Rich thought for a moment. If Rob hadn’t had sex until that Beta… “Rob, it might’ve hurt really bad because that was your first time. Did you ever consider that?”

* * *

Rob shrugged. “It might have, but I figured it didn’t matter. I could get through Heats without toys, and there’s no law that says that I need to have sex that way, right?”

“Robbie…” Rob met his eyes. “What exactly did you expect us to do during your Heats?” Rich asked seriously.

“I was going to talk to you about that, I just didn’t know how; this all happened so fast.” He struggled not to hide his face. “I was just so relieved when you offered to help me…”

“And I still will,” Rich said firmly. He looked about the room then back to Rob. “Even if I hadn’t asked to be your Alpha, I would have found a way to help you. You shouldn’t feel ashamed of being afraid. No one has the right to make you feel that way. A _real_ Alpha would never consider you to be unnatural or flawed or a freak. They would try to show you that you are desirable and wonderful.”

Rob gazed in awe at Rich. He’d never had those kinds of words spoken to him before. Rich’s eyes were so intense and locked onto his, and Rob believed him, truly believed him. “O-OK.”

Rich smiled. “I mean it, Robbie. And I won’t throw you out; I want to help you, in every way I can.”

Rob lowered his eyes. “But how?”

“We’ll practice,” Rich said matter-of-factly.

“Practice?”

“How were you getting through your Cycles before you met… _her?_ ”

Rob smiled. Ahh, so now Rich was refusing to say Marney’s name; he could get with that. “Well, up until now I just used my fingers and my-my…” He glanced down between his legs.

“Your dick?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me guess: it takes forever for you to get off.” Rich’s tone of voice wasn’t condescending or belittling, just concerned. “Robbie, I think we need to see if you can actually cum with your slit.”

Rob clutched the pillow to his chest tightly. “I don’t know…” His mind filled with memories of hot, mind-searing pain. “Rich, it was horrible!”

“I’ll be there with you,” Rich said, laying his hands on his shoulders. “We’ll...We’ll practice, a little at a time. Work you up to it.”

“How?”

“Well, let’s just say that I’ve seen a lot of Omega porn?” Rich grinned playfully. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”

Rob swallowed, his face heating up. “You know all of that stuff is fake, right?”

“And? It doesn’t mean that it can’t be used as resource material.” The Alpha winked, then lowered his head and laughed softly.

“What’s so funny?” Rob asked.

Rich raised his head. “I just realized that I’m gonna have to get a few things to help make stuff a little less...sticky.”

“Like what?”

“You _do_ know how Alpha cocks work, right?”

“Of course I do!”

“Then trust me, you _want_ me to get something for it. Otherwise, there’s gonna be a hell of a mess to clean up.”

It suddenly clicked, and Rob made a face. “Oh, OK. But… Are you sure? It’s really not necessary. I’m fine without—”

“Nope. You’re supposed to have satisfying Heats with your Alpha, and from what you’ve told me, you’ve never had one. It’s time to make that happen.”

Rob’s breath caught at the hard, determined look in Rich’s amber eyes. He didn’t know what he was in for, but perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

There were always little tweaks to every plan, after all.

* * *

Rob read over the list he and Rich had made, pointedly ignoring the first several items that the Alpha had scribbled down. He had no desire whatsoever of going with him to the sex store to get those.

“Uh, Rich, when did I say that I needed ice cream or chocolate bars?”

Rich was lounging on the couch, popping cheesy poofs into his mouth. “Oh, I added those. Figured that you’d need them too,” he said casually.

“Figured why?” Rob asked, turning in his seat from the kitchen table.

“Comfort food?” Rich answered, his fingers all orange from the snack he was eating. “I know you said that you craved carbs mostly, but—”

“I appreciate the thought, Rich, but I’ll be more than happy with the gingerbread.” He crossed out the ice cream and chocolate bars. “Then again, maybe something a _little_ comforting wouldn’t hurt…”

He added “cinnamon buns” at the bottom of the list.


	3. Chapter 3

Rob jumped when Rich came running through the front door with a medium-sized brown paper sack in hand. He had a cheesy grin on his face that Rob wasn’t quite sure that he liked or not.

“Uhh, shopping went well I take it?” he asked as the Alpha walked to the kitchen table and set the sack down. Rob was thankful that whatever porn shop Rich had gone to hadn’t slapped their logo all over it.

Rich placed his hands on his hips and nodded. “Yep. And,” he held up a finger and turned to Rob. “They were having a sale on a couple of things that we needed, so that was a nice bonus!” He smiled widely.

“Umm, yay?” Rob gave him a weak double thumbs up.

“Is something wrong?” Rich dropped his hand. “Robbie, are you worried about what’s—”

“No!” Rob waved his hands in front of himself from where he sat on the couch. “I… Well, that is…” He chewed on his lip when Rich raised one of his eyebrows. “Are you meaning for us to start, erm, ‘practicing’ right away?”

Rich walked over and looked down at Rob. “Well, we go to the courthouse day after tomorrow. Your heat is due to hit sometime next week. Time will fly by pretty fast.”

Rob darted his eyes over at the bag on the table then back at the Alpha. “So, um, the sooner the better, huh?”

“I don’t want to rush you, Rob. We go at your pace, but you’re gonna have to trust me if I need to push you now and then.” Rich kept his eyes on Rob’s, and Rob read nothing but pure, open honesty in his friend’s face. “But if you want to stop, for anything, you just say the word, OK? This is going to be your actual ‘first time’ as far as I’m concerned.”

“Ugh, I’m too _old_ to be feeling like this,” Rob groaned, covering his face. Why was his life like this? Nobody else had to go through these things!

“Hey, you’ve got me; you’re not going through it alone.” Rich’s hand touched his shoulder. Oh great, he had spoken aloud...yet, the Alpha was right—he wasn’t alone. In fact, with every screwed-up situation he had gone through over the past ten years or so, he’d always had Rich by his side.

Even if a lot of those situations were because of Rich. But, Rob had to admit that he himself played a part in a good number of them too.

He sighed and removed his hands from his face. “Thanks, Rich. That means a lot,” he smiled.

“Anytime, Bob-o.” Rich pointed with his thumb towards the table. “So, wanna see what I got?”

Rob stood to his feet and rolled his shoulders. “Lead the way,” he replied. “Might as well get started.”

* * *

Rob was stalling. The Omega had been antsy ever since Rich had laid out the toys he’d gotten from the porn shop. As he’d gone over the various-sized dildos, the Omega cock ring, and a knot ring, Rich sensed that Rob was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

“Hey, you alright?” Rich had asked after taking out a package of Mating Bite guards. “Am I going too fast?” The Omega then muttered about needing something from his room first and walked quickly away.

Which led to Rich standing in front of Rob’s bedroom door. He’d washed and sanitized the two different “rings,” and, along with a small tube of lube, he’d wrapped them all in a hand towel. He’d waited for over ten minutes so far, wondering what his friend could possibly be up to.

He closed his eyes, attempting to get into the right mind-frame for what was about to happen over the next week or so. He’d never done anything like this before and was hoping that he wouldn’t fail. He’d never forgive himself if he did. Robbie was his best friend, his Omega now. He’d never been an Alpha to an Omega before, either. It was...different, nice, if he were really honest with himself.

Why had he never…?

If only they could have had the chance to in—

He sighed and smiled sadly, opening his eyes. _That was a silly mistake and you know it, Rich. Rob was beside himself, remember? No use in thinking about something that’ll never happen for real…_

“Robbie?” He rapped his knuckles on the door. “You OK in there? We don’t have to start today; we can try tomorrow.”

The door opened slowly and Rich’s eyes widened at the sight of Rob in his bathrobe. It was tied at his waist, but part of his chest was exposed, and the bottom of the robe fell to just above his knees.

He looked amazing.

“Uh,” Rich cleared his throat, tightening his hand on the towel he held. “Wh-Why did you change…?”

“You said it would be messy,” Rob explained. “I, uh,” he blushed and averted his eyes. “I thought that maybe we should do this in the bathtub or shower or something?”

Rich slapped his palm against his forehead. “Dammit!” He was so stupid, and they were on the list too!

Rob jumped. “WHAT?!”

“I knew I forgot something!” Rich turned around and banged his head against the wall. “UGH!”

“What? Is it important? D-Do you have to go get it? Oh, please tell me you don’t! I just told myself that I could do this and it was really hard to do and...”

Rich slowly faced him. “Calm down, Robbie. It’s OK. I forgot the plastic sheets.” Dammit, he wasn’t supposed to upset him right now!

Rob scowled. “That’s _all?!_ ” He pushed a finger into Rich’s chest. “Don’t DO that!”

“I’m sorry, Omega.” Rich covered Rob’s hand with his own. “I just want everything in place is all.”

“Y-Yeah,” Rob said, his eyes glued to their hands. “I appreciate that...Alpha.”

Rich smiled inwardly. Well, he hadn’t meant for their… Session? Congress? Workout? He stopped himself from snorting at the last thought. Well, regardless of what they’d end up calling it, he hadn’t meant for it to start off in the hallway using their secondary gender titles. But Rob was doing good so far, so he’d take it. “Wanna head to the bathroom?”

* * *

Rob was feeling a little lightheaded. What had happened just now? Rich had never called him “Omega” before, and he’d definitely never referred to his friend as “Alpha”! It had sent a thrill of anticipation through him and his trust in Rich increased exponentially. It was quite unexpected, and if it had been anyone else, the rational part of Rob’s mind might’ve panicked. But, it was Rich, his best friend in the world...

His Alpha.

He calmly accepted the hand Rich offered and followed him the short ways to the bathroom. As they entered, Rich said, “This _will_ be easier in here; good idea, Robbie.” He motioned to the free-standing shower with its bench on one end. “I didn’t think to use it as an alternative.” He turned to face him. “Do you wanna get in first and I follow?”

“Are you gonna?” Rob waved at Rich’s clothes.

Rich smiled. “I hadn’t planned on getting completely naked, no—just down to my boxers is all.”

“Oh.” For some reason, that disappointed him. But, why should it? He’d be in heat soon, right? It didn’t really matter... “Alright, so, yeah; I’ll go ahead and you’ll join me.”

He slid by the Alpha, who placed the hand towel on the vanity and grabbed two regular towels from the cabinet. Rob opened the glass door and turned on the shower, waiting for the water to get warm and listening to Rich shuck off his clothes.

“If you want to stop at any time, just say so,” Rich said.

Rob looked over his shoulder at the Alpha standing in a pair of red silk boxers. His eyes dropped to the crotch without meaning to, widening at the sizable bulge the Alpha possessed. W-Was he aroused?

“Robbie?”

“Yeah! I’ll let you know!” Rob replied, his voice a little high. He turned back around and started to untie his robe. “Getting in now!” Dammit, he was starting to feel nervous again!

“I’ll get in when you’re ready,” Rich said soothingly from behind him. Rob nodded his head. Rich must be sensing how he was feeling. “No rush—at your pace, remember?”

“Yeah, my pace,” Rob said softly. He dropped the robe to the floor—ignoring the thought of Rich seeing him naked—and stepped inside. He quickly closed the door and went to stand under the showerhead.

He let the warm spray of water rain down over him, keeping his eyes closed and willing his nerves to settle. _You can do this, remember? It’s so you don’t hurt or feel like you’re going to die next week! So you won’t curse Fate for making you what you are every time your uterus **reminds** you of what you are!_

Once he was able to take deep, steadying breaths, he said, “OK, Rich. I’m ready.” His voice echoed within the shower.

“You certain?”

“Yup.”

“Alright. I’m coming in.” There was a whoosh of cool air. Rob opened his eyes, and Rich was standing at the other end of the shower. The Alpha’s boxers became saturated right away, sticking to his body like a second skin.

Rob couldn’t have looked away if he tried. If Rich had thought wearing those boxers would somehow make this a bit easier to handle, he was dead wrong. And maybe using the shower hadn’t been a good idea, either. The water beaded and slid down his chest, pooled in his belly button. The heat of the warm water opened up the pores on his skin and the scent that filled Rob’s nostrils was...

And Rich looked… And he was… It reminded him so much of…

“Those are silk, right?” he said, ignoring the path his thoughts were threatening to go down. “Maybe you should go put on a different pair.”

Rich crossed his arms and smirked. “Worried about my unmentionables, Robbie?” He took a careful step forward and studied his face. “Or are you worried about something else?”

Rob shook his head. “Nope, I’m fine! It’s just that silk is expensive, right?” He forced a fake smile on his face, which faded when Rich narrowed his eyes. “Isn’t it?”

“Alright, Omega, seems that I gotta calm ya down.” Rich moved closer, directing Rob to turn around to face in the opposite direction.

“What are you gonna do?” Rob asked, bending his head down slightly to keep the water from hitting him in the face.

“I’m gonna give you a massage,” the Alpha answered. “If I do anything else, I’ll ask first.” He laid his hands on Rob’s shoulders. “And it’s still like before, OK? You wanna stop, just say so.”

Rob relaxed at the reminder. “OK.” He closed his eyes as Rich’s fingers began to knead the muscles of his shoulders slowly, moving along towards the middle of his neck. He swirled his thumbs in small circles, using a light pressure, and Rob groaned when the Alpha hit a sensitive spot that he didn’t know he possessed.

* * *

“Feeling a little better?” Rich asked, pressing at the spot again. Rob huffed out a shaky breath. “Guess so.” He slid his hands down the Omega’s back, using light, rhythmic, tapping strokes. “Focus on my hands, Robbie.”

Rob’s head dropped forward. “Mmm-hmm.” Rich smiled. Good, it was working. He kept up his movements, going further down Rob’s spine, increasing the pressure of his fingers. “Feels good,” the Omega sighed.

Rich continued the massage, rubbing his hands and fingers along the muscles of Rob’s back, shoulders, and neck for several long, drawn-out moments. The Omega became more and more at ease until he had to press both his hands against the tiled wall in front of him.

Rich was relieved that he had learned how to give massages; it had come in handy in the past on dates. He made sure not to let his hands wander below the Omega’s tailbone, though he had to admit that Rob had a nice ass.

He cleared his throat. Not that… Well, maybe he _had_ noticed, but—

“You’re gonna make me fall down, Rich,” Rob nearly slurred. He sighed out contentedly when Rich trailed his fingers down his side. “We-We’re gonna run out of water…”

“Nope,” Rich said. “On-demand water heater.” He stilled his ministrations. “I’m gonna move my hands around to your front; is that alright?”

Rob breathed deeply and nodded. “Y-Yeah.”

Rich swallowed. OK, this is where it got a bit more serious. He slowly let his hands encircle Rob’s waist, his fingers roving over the smooth, hairless skin that all Omega’s had upon their torsos. Rob’s abdominal muscles twitched, and Rich wondered if his friend was ticklish. He would have to find that out someday.

He rested his hands on Rob’s lower belly, then lowered his fingers slightly. Ahh, so Rob was aroused.

Perfect.

“Rich…” Rob whined.

“I know, Omega… I know…” Rich whispered. Fuck, maybe he _should_ have changed his boxers; these were gonna chafe. “I’m gonna take care of you. Let me go get something.”

“No!” Rob grabbed his wrists. “Don’t leave me!”

Rich gasped. “R-Robbie… I’m just going to the sink, OK? You can see me through the shower door.”

Rob shook his head. “You’ll leave… Don’t leave me like this…”

“Robbie…” Rich kept his voice soothing. “I promise you: I won’t leave you. Ever. Watch me, OK?”

The Omega was quiet for several long seconds, then released his grip. “I’ll chase you if you l-leave. I don’t care if I’m naked.” He turned and looked over his shoulder and Rich’s eyes went round at the hint of gold in Rob’s eyes. “Understood, Alpha?”

“Understood, Omega.” Rich reached up, wanting to touch Rob’s face, but instead squeezed his arm. “Watch me, OK?”

After Rob nodded, Rich carefully stepped out and, after drying some of the water off the bottom of his feet with the bathmat, he went and unfolded the towel on the vanity. He held the knot ring in his hand, rolling it with his fingers for a moment, then decided that he might as well put it on.

He set it down and peeled his wet boxers off his body, tugging them gently down over his cock, which had started to hurt from being confined by the now tight material. When it sprang free, it slapped hard against his stomach, and he couldn’t suppress the sigh of relief that left his mouth. He wasn’t going to do something like that again!

A sharp intake of breath behind him caught his attention, and he turned. Rob’s eyes were riveted on his groin, and Rich wondered if his friend had even seen an Alpha cock in person before. They were typically long and thick, meant to penetrate deep inside of their partners—primarily for Omegas—and Rich was especially so. The fleshy pouch of skin, or “knot,” at the base would expand and “lock” or “tie” with their partner, helping to increase the chances of pregnancy with a female Beta or an Omega in heat.

The knot also produced more semen, which in turn produced multiple orgasms, which could go on for an hour or more on average—Rich’s record was sixty-three minutes. It was for this reason that he had bought the knot ring, so that his knot wouldn’t pop; it was all he needed to be stuck cumming for over an hour with Rob watching.

“Just gotta put this on,” Rich said, kicking his boxers to the side and reaching for the knot ring. “Gotta lube it up.”

“O-OK,” the Omega voice’s echoed. His blue eyes shifted over to the towel. “You going to bring mine in too?”

Rich was smoothing lube on the ring. “Yup.” He drizzled more lube over the base of his cock. He took the ring, which was basically a cuff with a clasp, and bound it securely around his flaccid knot and latched it closed. He groaned lowly in his throat; it was one of the more sensitive parts of his anatomy. “You’re not gonna cum with your dick, remember?” he added, his face flushed.

* * *

Rob had both his hands splayed against the glass door, his eyes wide at the sight before him. He’d seen Alphas sexually aroused in porn before, but never in person. And this was Rich! And-And his cock! It reached to _above_ his belly button! And it was huge! How was it supposed to… And did Rich really think that those dildos he bought could prepare him for _that?!_

“...not gonna cum with your dick, remember?” Rob moved his gaze to Rich’s reddened face. His pupils were dilated and fixed on him. “I’m coming back inside now.”

“OK.” Rob stepped back from the door, keeping his eyes on the Alpha. Once Rich was back in the shower, the heady scent of lust filled the enclosed space.

“S-Sit down,” Rich gasped out. “Please?”

Rob promptly did so. Rich’s voice had changed, had grown deeper, huskier. It turned him on like he’d never felt before.

Rich knelt before him. “Can I look at you?” he asked, placing his hands on Rob’s knees. He rubbed his thumbs along their insides, and Rob’s legs shivered from the touch.

“Y-Yes.” Guessing what he wanted, Rob parted his legs, exposing himself to him.

“You smell wonderful, Omega,” Rich hummed. His eyes roved over Rob and he licked his lips. “Has anyone ever…” He ran his tongue over his top lip.

Rob shivered. “N-No… I was always afraid that they’d do something else.”

Rich sucked in air sharply. “Do you trust me to?”

“I…”

“I won’t do anything else, Robbie,” Rich promised, looking straight into his eyes. “You’re in charge.”

“I trust you.”

Rich lowered his head and inhaled, then flared his nostrils, puffing air. Rob let loose a broken moan at the action and he felt himself slicken and his cock twitch. That was different, and he wasn’t sure why it had happened, but he did know that he liked it.

“Ahh, looks like we’re gonna have to use your cock ring soon,” Rich said. He ghosted his lips over Rob’s opening, exhaling hot air, his mouth watering at the aroma that filled his nostrils. He had been associating apples with Rob for years now, and this scent—this sweet apple scent—was a delicious surprise.

“Rich… Alpha…” Rob moaned. He was teasing him! He was fucking teasing him! The smartass bastard! “I want…”

“What do you want, Robbie?” Rich ran a hand up his thigh. “What do you want Omega?”

Rob spread his legs wider. “Dammit, Rich! Please!” He arched his back as he felt slick trickle from inside him. “Please!”

“Want me to use your slick to slip your cock ring on?” Rich rubbed the ring along the top of the Omega’s thigh. “It’ll feel so good that way.”

“Yes!” Rob moaned. “Do that!” he begged.

“So I can touch you?” Rich asked, holding the ring before Rob’s dripping slit.

“Yes! Stop asking! Just do it!” He then cried out as the ring was rolled up and down between the lips of his opening, pressing in just a tiny bit. It didn't hurt, but oh! it felt so good! He was so swollen, so aroused! He wanted something else to touch him there!

He started to complain when it was suddenly removed, but jerked his head down when he felt Rich’s hand wrap around his cock. The Alpha looped the slick-covered ring about his flared cockhead, then slowly rolled it down to the base and tucked it under his small set of testicles.

“There we go,” Rich said. He shared a smile with Rob. “Want a kiss?”

Rob’s mouth dropped open. “A kiss?” His mind nearly short-circuited. “Rich, I—”

“No, Robbie,” Rich chuckled. He gently tapped the top of Rob’s dick, making the Omega jump. “Here.”

“Uh, y-yeah…” He closed his eyes when the Alpha wrapped his lips around him and sucked. “Fuck…”

Rick took his mouth away. Damn, he tasted sweet! “Not just yet, Omega.” Rob had a pretty cock, all nice and pink and smooth. Not as big as a Beta cock, but close. He was sure that Rob had more than proved that he was amazing with it.

“Rich…” Rob whined. “I wanna cum…”

“You will,” Rich promised. He lowered his head back to Rob’s slit and used his fingers to touch the outside skin lightly. It was the same shade of pink as Rob’s cock, warm, swollen from arousal. Slick had leaked from it and, remembering the Omega’s cock, Rich was dying to taste it. “I’m gonna get an even better look at you now, OK?”

“For fuck’s sake, Rich, just do it!” Rob demanded, pushing his hips forward.

Rich chuckled. “Yes, sir, Omega, sir.” He spread Rob’s lips open with his fingers, the highly sensitive folds within a deeper pink and drenched with even more slick. “Damn, Robbie… Am I really the first person to see all this?” He swiped a finger through the wetness.

“AH! Yes!” Rob’s cock was beading with precum. “Y-You are!” How was he supposed to get through this with a damned cock ring?!

Rich raised his finger, all coated with Rob’s slick. He inhaled it once more and couldn’t resist sucking it into his mouth. The explosion of sugar and candied apples and Omega on his tongue would’ve had his knot popping if he’d been an adolescent. It was incredible!

“I’m going to eat you out, Omega,” he said, lifting Rob’s legs and placing them on his shoulders. “I'm not gonna stop until you’ve covered my face and cummed at least twice, maybe three times.”

“ _Th-Three?_ ” Rob said in surprise. He shifted his body to make himself more comfortable, and precum dribbled down the side of his almost painful erection. His body was as taut as a string, shaking and wanting nothing more than to cum. “I’m not sure if I can!”

“Oh, trust me, Omega: you can,” Rich said. He was heaving, his eyes zeroed in on Rob’s opening. “When I’m done with you, you’re gonna wonder how you’d ever survived without cumming from here.”

Before Rob could reply, Rich dove in, lapping furiously with his long, flexible Alpha tongue. He didn’t enter inside the Omega’s body—that was for later “sessions”—but he licked and sucked every inch and crevice he could reach of the outer part of the organ. He slurped up the fluids that poured out, smacking his lips as he ate and ate, closing his eyes as his face and scruff became wet and sticky.

Rob writhed and wailed and shouted “Alpha!” and “Rich!” and “More!” He couldn’t think past the pleasure, the heat pooling between his thighs. His hands shot down and tangled in Rich’s hair, needing something to anchor himself. Fuck, he had to grind Rich’s face against him! Yes, YES, YES!

Rich groaned loudly at the sharp tug of pain to his scalp. He buried his face deeper, ran his teeth against one plump fold, nibbled.

“OH HOLY SHIT!”

Ah, there we go…

“AH! AH! AH!”

More yummy slick.

Knew he could cum this way…

* * *

The next two orgasms came crashing over Rob in quick succession, and Rich lowered the Omega’s spasming legs to the shower’s floor. He turned his head to the spray of water, cleansing his face of the thick layer of fluid that covered it, wincing as the water hit his hard, purple erection. He was so close...

“Mine hurts too,” Rob complained.

Rich turned. The Omega was shuddering and looking desperately at his angry and throbbing dick. “Can I _please_ take this cock ring off now?” he begged.

“Wanna get off together?” Rich replied. He smirked when Rob quickly moved over on the bench to make room for him. “Thought so.”

Rich moaned as he sat down. “On the count of three?” he said, wrapping his hand just above his knot ring.

“On three,” Rob agreed, his fingers touching his cock ring.

Less than five minutes later, they fell against each other in a cum-covered heap.

“You’re right…” Rob wheezed. “It was a good idea for you to get that knot ring. I’ve never seen so much cum before. It’s everywhere!”

Rich stroked his softening cock languorously. “Well, it’s meant to be in a more enclosed space, ya know.”

Rob stiffened and Rich turned his head. “What is it?”

“I need to go on Omega birth control.”

“Oh, well, I could always just use a condom,” Rich offered.

“No, I won’t have you uncomfortable the entire time. Even condoms made for knotting hurts you guys; everyone knows that.” Rob shook his head and grinned shyly at Rich. “I’m, uh, guessing that it would hurt like a bitch for you.”

Rich chuckled. “Some brands aren’t as bad as others.”

“Well either way,” Rob said. “I know that you’re not riddled with diseases, and would never risk that with me. Me taking something is the easiest.” His face darkened by three or four shades. “And, we’ll be messy anyway, right?”

“That we will be,” Rich agreed. “A lot more than we are now.” He leaned his head against the tiled wall behind them. “You wash my back, I wash yours?” he asked.

“Only if you pay for pizza.”

“I wanted Chinese, though.”

“Both, then?”

“I think we earned it.”

“Hey, Rich?”

“Hmm?”

“Is it gonna fit?”

Rich turned sideways. “You mean my dick?” he guessed.

Rob just nodded.

“Robbie, your body is _made_ for Alphas to fit. I know that I’m, well, bigger than most, but I’ve…” He gesticulated wildly with one arm. “I’ve never _injured_ anyone.”

“I’m sorry…” Rob looked away. “It was a dumb question.”

Rich sighed. “No, Rob, it wasn’t. You’re allowed to ask any question you want, OK?”

“OK.”

“So, any other questions before we clean up and replace those calories we just burned?” Rich said, hoping to break the tension that had just formed between them. Why did that always have to happen, anyway?

“No, but I do want to say something.”

Oh shit… “Umm, alright. I’m listening.”

Rob pointed at the showerhead.

“Do you have any idea how high our water bill is going to be?!”

Rich almost laughed. “It was your idea!”

They bickered for the next ten minutes. And the shower kept on running.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fills the “Domestic” Speight Bingo square.

_He was determined to find him. The Rut that had overtaken his body the evening before heightened his already superior senses and increased his ability to chase down what he craved, what he wanted, what he needed._

_His Omega._

_He flared his nostrils, opened his mouth and breathed in the hot, damp, forest air. The Omega’s sweet, delicate aroma made him almost dizzy. This was the part of the ritual that he had been looking forward to the most—seeking out his soon-to-be bonded, capturing him, making him beg to submit to him and take his bite._

_Groaning at the thought of his fangs piercing the skin of his Omega’s throat, he sent out a low call. The Omega had been in Heat for at least two days, and would only come out of hiding for the Alpha he had chosen._

_A rustle of the greenery a handful of yards away gained his full attention. He bared his teeth; it could be a predator or another Alpha. However, when Rob appeared panting and sweating, blue eyes nearly flooded with gold, he tensed._

_They held each other’s eyes for one short moment, then the Omega whirled and dashed off._

_He was right behind him. The chase had begun._

_Omegas might be the smallest of the genders, but they were also the swiftest. They could get away from dangerous situations fairly quickly._

_Yet, they were also sprinters, not built for stamina. Some could hold their own longer than others, which his Omega was definitely doing at the moment. He lagged behind for a good while, pushing himself to keep the slightly smaller man in his sights._

_They were cresting a hill when Rob doubled-over, shouting in pain. Once he made his way to him, he knew that the Heat had intensified._

_“Omega…” he purred, kneeling down next to him. “Omega…”_

_“Rich… Hurts…”_

_“I’ve caught you. Let me?”_

_His eyes widened when Rob flipped over and presented. He was deep in Heat, much deeper than he should be at this point. Slick poured from his slit, pooling onto the ground. “Rich, please… Now…” the Omega begged._

_“I… But what about…” Something was nagging him. He should ask first… But ask what? He stood and shook his head. No, this...this wasn’t right. What was he doing?_

_“Need your knot, Rich! Please!”_

_Lust sparked deep within him. “And my bite?” Red crept around his vision. The smell, the sight of Rob writhing on the ground, it was—_

_“Mate me, Rich! Now!”_

* * *

Rich jerked awake, heaving in sharp gasps of air. His cock was rock hard, and he had been stroking himself frantically in his sleep. He couldn’t stop, he was too close—his knot was almost fully expanded; if he tried to pull back he’d be in pain for hours.  
  
The bizarre events of his dream echoed in his mind, but he couldn’t focus on them… So close… He needed...

Squeezing his eyes shut, he bent his legs and spread them wide so he could bring his other hand down and massage his knot. Pleasure suffused his groin and broiled in his belly. God, it had been so long since he’d allowed himself a full-blown knot orgasm. It was gonna be dirty, messy, but he didn’t care, it felt so damn good.

Moans and groans were torn from his mouth and throat as he ran his hand firmly up and down his shaft, copious amounts of precum dribbling freely from the slit. His hips pushed up into each downward movement of his fist, and the fingers of his other hand rolled and caressed his knot. He got closer and closer, biting his lip to keep his cries muffled. 

A twist of his thumb over his glans, a gentle pump of his knot, and he came in long, thick, white ropes across his upper chest, a few drops landing under his chin. He arched his back, his knot pulsing in tandem with the pleasure radiating throughout his body. YES! He was going to enjoy his hour of this!

He turned his head into his pillow as another surge of orgasm rushed through him, and he was covered once again in his release. Oh! He cupped his knot and gasped at its sensitivity, rubbing at it with the pad of his thumb and fluttering his eyelids closed. Fuck! That felt so damn good!

Over and over again he came, his chest, stomach, and groin becoming saturated. When Alpha cum began to dry outside the body, it became tacky, almost waxy, in texture. Alphas used it as a way to mark their mates in addition to scenting. It was a pain to remove though, requiring vigorous scrubbing while bathing.

With one last, weak twitch of his cock, Rich orgasmed for the last time. He flopped spread-eagled on the bed, dripping in sweat and sticky, half-dried cum. He could’ve fallen asleep right there, but he knew if he did, he’d literally be glued to the sheets.  
  
_At least there’s plastic sheets on_ **_my_ ** _bed,_ he mused, panting and staring up at the slowly turning ceiling fan. His eyes widened, the thought of getting Rob his own set of sheets triggering the memories of the Rob in his dream.

What the hell had that been anyway? He could have sworn it was a Mating Chase of some kind… But those were only performed by very traditional cultures nowadays. Rich had only seen a few on documentaries, and fake ones in porn. They got very graphic, some violent. He’d never do that to Robbie.

He furrowed his brow. And why had he been so hesitant, like he was going to leave Rob all alone, suffering in pain and half out of his mind with Heat? Rich would never forgive himself if something happened to his friend because of that. Robbie could die, or be taken by another Alpha.  
  
Rich growled low in his throat. No! He’d never let another Alpha touch him. He’d never—  
  
He sat up abruptly, wincing as the sheet peeled off his back painfully. “Ow,” he mouthed. Rubbing his back, he took stock of his thoughts. Was he becoming overly protective of Rob? Wasn’t that something he was _supposed_ to do? But what if Rob found someone who he _really_ wanted to mate, though?  
  
The idea almost made Rich growl again. _Stop it!_ he admonished himself. _Not this again! You told Robbie that nothing would change, and Vegas was just a silly drunken mistake. You know better, now. It’s just your hormones._ _  
_ _  
_ He gave his bed a tired look. Now he had to figure out how to clean up the evidence of his morning “self-lovin’.” 

* * *

Rob whipped his head around the corner of the kitchen at the sound of Rich’s bedroom door being slammed shut. His mouth dropped open in surprise at seeing the Alpha dash across the hall dressed in a robe, the comforter from his bed rolled and held in his arms. Rich almost dived into the bathroom, swinging the door closed behind him as soon as he cleared it.

OK, that was weird. Rob almost took the pan of bacon he was frying off the stove so he could go investigate, but decided that he really didn’t want to know. Besides, being in that bathroom with Rich again would be, well… 

He cleared his throat and went to open the fridge. Good, there was butter—he should set that out to soften to room temperature. There was half a bottle of pancake syrup in a cabinet, close to expiring, but it would do. Frozen waffles weren’t exactly gourmet.

The bacon was just finished and two waffles were in the toaster when Rich stepped out of the bathroom. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, and he cast a worried glance in Rob’s direction.  
  
“Are you alright?” Rob asked, having watched him. 

“I gotta do something,” Rich replied. He went to his room, opening and shutting the door quickly.

Weirder and weirder. Rob went about setting the table, placing all the food in its middle along with plates and silverware. He placed two mugs next to the coffee machine on the counter.

Once again the sound of slamming doors issued from the hallway, but this time Rob ignored them. Whatever the hell Rich was up to, he’d find out soon enough. Just as he went to put more waffles in the toaster, a now dressed Rich came barrelling through, the rolled-up comforter held above his head.

“Rich! What the hell?!” Rob shouted, jumping out of the way. “What are you—is that a _beach towel?!_ ”

There was a garishly orange beach towel wrapped around the bedding in the Alpha’s hands. As Rob watched, Rich skidded into the utility room, flipped open the washer, and turned around to stare at him.  
  
“Umm, sorry about this.”

Rob stared back. “Rich, did you have an accident?”

Rich’s mouth twitched. “It would’ve been called that thirty years or so ago, yeah.”

It all fell into place, and Rob instinctively took a deep breath. Underneath the gallons of blockers Rich must’ve sprayed on the bedding in his hands, there was also the faint odor of Alpha semen. 

And the deep, woodsy musk of Rich.

“Uh, you could’ve just… I mean…” Rob felt his face heat up. He darted his eyes about the kitchen until they landed on the table. “I made breakfast!” he blurted out lamely.

“Looks great!” Rich replied just as lamely. “Let me, err.” He waved at the washer.

“Yep.” Rob then went to complete their meal, and Rich started his unexpected...load...of laundry.

* * *

Rich sat down at the table, unable to look directly at his friend. He’d never been so embarrassed in his entire life, and he’d done some pretty embarrassing things. Deep down he knew he shouldn’t feel this way; their society was very open when it came to sex and everything related to it. People masturbated all the time, especially Alphas who had others under their care.

But...But this was _Robbie._ Why was it different with him?

“Here.” Rich blinked when a cup of coffee was set before him. “Black, right?”

He raised his eyes to meet Rob’s blue ones. “Right. Thanks.”

Rob sat across the table from him and started to fill his plate. “These waffles are the only thing I could find to make a quick breakfast out of,” the Omega said conversationally. 

“I didn’t realize that I had them to be honest,” Rich replied. He took the plate of bacon and put four pieces on his plate. “Didn’t even know I had bacon.”

“Do you even know _what_ you have in the kitchen?” Rob asked, his voice full of surprise. He pushed over the plate of waffles and handed the bottle of syrup to Rich. “You _do_ eat at home?”

“Well, yeah, but if I need something, I just go out and get it or order in.” Rich shrugged and poured syrup on a few waffles, plopping a dollop of butter on top.

Rob shook his head. “Glad we made that list, then.”

They went to eating, and Rich watched his friend unobtrusively. Rob seemed to be in the pre-Heat stage already: worried about neatness, organization, things of that nature. The day before, after their time in the shower, he had been insistent on cleaning it thoroughly before they’d had dinner. Not just a wipe-down with regular soap and water. No, Rich had had to dig out his cleaning products, and they’d literally scrubbed the tiles until he almost swore that they sparkled.

“So, what are the plans for today?” 

Rich quickly swallowed the bite of waffle in his mouth. “Well, after yesterday…” He smiled a little at the blush that appeared on Rob’s face. “The sheets…”

“Oh! Yeah, you-you have to get some.” Rob took a long sip of his coffee. “I suppose I should call my doctor, make an appointment. Oh!” He snapped his fingers. “My agent too! Let him know I’ll be unreachable for a while.”  
  
“Ugh, I need to do that too. Thanks for saying that.” Rich dipped a piece of bacon into the butter and syrup on his plate. “Do you want me to pick up anything for you while I’m out?”

Rob drummed his fingers on the table. “Donuts? The powdery ones? Just a small bag.”

Rich smiled. Yup, pre-Heat was starting. “I’ll grab a few of them in case you want more.”

* * *

After Rich left, Rob went about cleaning up the kitchen. He made the phone calls he had mentioned earlier, happy that he was able to arrange his appointment for right after the courthouse visit the next day. He just wanted to get all of that out of the way so that he could focus on getting... _prepared_...for next week.

Rich’s bedclothes had finished washing, so Rob went ahead and put them in the dryer. He next made his way to his bedroom, looking for something else to do until the Alpha returned. Standing in the middle of it, he glanced at the boxes against the wall, but his eyes were drawn against their will to the bag on top of the dresser.

The bag Rich had brought back from the porn store.

Rob had followed Rich’s lead last night, talking and laughing while they ate dinner and watched an old 80’s sitcom on TV. It was as if what they’d just experienced together in the shower had not happened, or what they had done was something that occurred every day. What Rob _did_ know was that he’d never felt so relaxed after a sexual encounter in his entire life.

He wondered if that was what it was supposed to be like…

Sleep came pretty quickly when he’d gone to bed, the complete opposite of his first night there. And when he’d awoken, for some reason, the bed was...too big? Not right? It was a strange feeling. 

He bit his lip. That bag held items that would be used on him— _in_ _him_ —he knew that. Yesterday when Rich had shown him, he’d been wary of them all. But now...now he was kinda curious about what they could do. Looked like Rich’s little idea was working...

Rob walked over and slowly took out the bag’s contents, lining them up by size. Hmm, well, he could tell which one would be going first and which would be going last. The smallest one was a tad shorter than his own cock, completely smooth. And hot neon pink. Why Rich had chosen that color, who the hell knew.

The rest got longer and thicker, and were in other extremely bright colors. The largest wasn’t even as big as Rich, but Rob knew that it was supposed to resemble an Alpha cock, judging by the artificial knot near its base. It was also made of clear silicone.

Something told Rob that Rich had used these types of “toys” before.

He jumped when he heard the front door open and stumbled back, nearly falling onto the bed. His eyes landed on the dresser and he quickly began to shove everything back into the bag.

* * *

Rich closed the door behind him and walked inside, tossing his wallet and keys on the end table as he passed the couch. The sound of the dryer rumbling from the utility room met his ears, and like he expected, the kitchen was as clean as a whistle.

He’d gotten three bags of the donuts Rob had requested and put them in the pantry, his eyes going round at how orderly the food staples were inside of it now. If he wasn’t mistaken, each item was arranged by its contents and size, and in some cases in alphabetical order.

He was sure to put the donuts in their appropriate “spot.”

Turning around, his cell phone _dinged!_ in his pocket. He took it out and read the text, seeing that his agent had received and acknowledged his message about helping “a friend” during their Cycle. Rob would’ve killed him if he’d mentioned him by name.  
  
Speaking of Rob, he wondered where the Omega could be. He wouldn’t have gone anywhere without—

A thump and thud came from the direction of Rob’s room and without thinking about it, Rich raced through the living room and down the hallway. “Robbie!” he shouted, running inside.

“Hi!” Rob said, shooting up from where he’d been kneeling on the ground. The Omega had been in the act of unpacking one of his boxes and had just started by the looks of it.

“I-I thought I heard something,” Rich began, slowly tucking his phone away and darting his eyes about the room. “Everything OK in here?”

Rob pursed his lips and looked down at the box on the ground. “Umm, I think it was heavier than I thought…”

Rich relaxed. “Oh, alright.” He peered curiously at the box. “I think I remember that one; wonder why it’s so heavy?”

“I’ve no idea! Mar—” He cut himself off when Rich growled slightly. “ _She_ packed it and didn’t really label it too clearly.” He pointed at the word “Crap” scribbled hastily on the box’s side.

“Well, want some help finding out?” Rich offered, crouching to his knees. “Wow, there’s like a ton of…books?” He didn’t touch them, not knowing what Rob would allow him to do.

Rob joined him. “Yeah, ones she got me for my birthday and anniversaries.” He picked up several, stacking them to the side. He then gasped, hovering his hand over a slim, white, leather-bound photo album with the words “The Bennetts” written in a fine gold script along its spine.

Rich frowned as hurt appeared on his friend’s face. The scent of anguish also filled the room. “Robbie?”

“This isn’t mine,” Rob whispered. He picked up the book and gently held it in his hands. “I-I had this made for her as a thank you for choosing me as both a mate and agreeing to be my Heat Partner.” He stared at it hopelessly. “For taking my name too, when I would’ve willingly taken hers.” His breath hitched. “Why would she…” He turned wet eyes to Rich. “Why…?”

“I wish I could tell you, Robbie.” He hated this. Why couldn’t he make it all better for him? “I—Oh, hell, Robbie, come here…” Rich reached out to pull Rob close when the Omega made a sorrowful whimpering sound.

“NO!” Rob sobbed, and pushed Rich back. They both fell hard on their sides, Rich staring at the Omega in shock. “Why was I thrown away?” Rob drew his knees to his chest, hugging the book tightly in his arms as he cried. “I didn’t do anything wrong, Rich…”

For a moment Rich didn’t know what to do. Rob was in major distress, mourning for what he had lost. Was this the first time his friend truly expressed his grief over the breaking of his Bond? If so, why had he waited so long? Rich had been through it three times; it wasn’t something that was meant to be put off like that!

He pushed himself to his hands and knees and crawled over quietly. “No, you didn’t, Robbie. She was the one who did wrong,” he said softly. He sat by the Omega’s side and ran his hand gently along Rob’s scalp. “You did nothing but care for her, which was what you were supposed to do. You are a wonderful Omega.”

Rob drew in a shuddering breath and shuffled closer. “You mean that?” he asked, raising puffy, red-rimmed eyes to Rich.

“One hundred percent I do.” Damn, what he’d give to gnaw that bitch’s neck in two. How dare she do this to him! “Listen to your Alpha: you are a kickass Omega, Rob Bennett, and you deserve the best.”

“Is this you being bossy, Rich?” Rob wiped at his eyes but kept his head in contact with Rich’s hand. “Because if it is, it’s a little on the sissy side.”

Chuckling, Rich replied, “Well, I’ll try to do better next time.”  
  
“It still hurts,” Rob murmured, closing his eyes.

“It gets better. Never really goes away, but it gets better.” Rich continued to run his fingers through Rob’s hair. “Have you been holding this all in, Robbie?”

Rob shook his head, stopped, then nodded. “Kinda. I think a part of me wanted to hope that she would change her mind. Sh-She promised that she would take care of me…” 

“If you want to cry, Rob, go ahead. I won’t leave you alone.” Rob opened his eyes and looked at him. “I promise,” Rich added.

“Thank you,” Rob choked out. 

Rich hauled Rob up and pulled him close so the Omega could scent him. “You’re welcome,” he whispered, and Rob broke down.

* * *

“Here you go,” Rich said, handing Rob a cool washcloth.

Rob accepted it with a nod of thanks and pressed it to his tear-stained face. He’d never let his feelings out like that before in front of anyone—not even Marney—but with Rich, it was different. He felt safe, secure, cared for. 

Wanted.

Why couldn’t he have met—

“You wanna take a break from unpacking? Eat some food? It’s mid-afternoon.”

He took the washcloth and started to pat the sides of his neck. “Already?” he asked. Did he really cry for that long?

“Yeah. Today’s going by pretty fast it seems,” Rich answered. The Alpha had sat back on the floor in front of Rob and was thumbing through one of the books, an adventure-fantasy novel by the looks of it. “I got in touch with my agent, by the way. You have any luck with yours?”

Rob wiped the back of his neck. “I did, and got an appointment with my gyno/psych for after the courthouse meeting as well.”

Rich looked up. “Good! Maybe we can go out and grab lunch after since we’ll be downtown already.”

“Sure.” Taking a deep breath, Rob pushed himself to his feet and eyed the other boxes. “I know about half of those are clothes, and I bet she threw them in there whether they were clean or not.”

“I’m not sure if you’re aware of this or not, but I _do_ have a washer and dryer,” Rich said teasingly. “I even have laundry detergent and dryer sheets.”

“You don’t say?” Rob smiled. He draped the washcloth over his shoulder, the photo album clutched in his other hand. “I might use them then.”

He walked slowly over towards the dresser, surreptitiously pushing the “toy bag” back against the wall when he reached it. “I, uh,” he turned the white book over in his hands. “I think I’m just gonna toss this…”

There was movement behind him, followed by the shuffle of feet. “Whatever you want to do Robbie, I’ll support your decision,” Rich said from near his right shoulder. 

Rob kept turning the book in his hands. “It’s just that…”

“Yeah?”

“There’s a lot of memories in here. Good memories.” He turned around to meet amber eyes full of compassion. “Am I doing the right thing?”

“Will remembering the good memories make the bad ones less painful?” Rich asked.

Rob stilled his hands. Marney on their bonding day, smiling brilliantly at him was one of his fav—he frowned as the memory was quickly replaced by the Beta belittling him in front of Rich two days ago. He dropped his gaze to the boxes, the hateful words scrawled across them standing out starkly.

He shook his head. “N-No, they don’t.” He gripped the white photo album tightly and wanted to rip it in half, but he couldn’t; he wasn’t strong enough. “It makes it _worse!_ ”

Rich laid his hands over Rob’s. “Need help with that?” he offered kindly.

“Can we burn it instead?”

“Well, I _do_ have a firepit…”

“I know… You wouldn’t shut up about getting the permit for it all last year.”

Rich rolled his eyes. “Do you know how much ass-kissing it took to convince the HOA to let me even put one in my own backyard?!”

Rob stopped the Alpha’s impending tirade; he’d heard this story more than once as well. “So, can I turn this into ash or not?” He indicated the object that was technically in both their hands.

The Alpha contemplated for a moment before answering. “Original or Extra-Crispy?”


End file.
